U.S. Chamber Watch Press Releases

For Immediate Release: 06/21/17U.S. Chamber of Commerce Spent More Than $16 Million Supporting Authors of Senate Health Care Bill
Since the beginning of the debate around passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has worked to undermine efforts to expand access to health care for tens of millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans.

For Immediate Release: 06/19/17U.S. Chamber of Commerce Claims to Support an “All of the Above” Energy Strategy; Its Actions Tell Another Story
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has abandoned any claims it once held to bipartisanship or working across the aisle to get things done after it placed all its financial support with Republicans in this year’s congressional elections, a report (PDF) released today by Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch shows.

For Immediate Release: 06/02/17Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is; Disney, Gap and Pepsi Should Stop Funding U.S. Chamber and Its Bogus Climate Studies
In his speech Thursday announcing his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, President Donald Trump cited a debunked study paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as part of his rationale for quitting the accord. The money that paid for this report ultimately comes from the companies that fund the Chamber.

For Immediate Release: 05/22/17Exelon Corporation to U.S. Chamber: ‘I Wish I Knew How to Quit You’
Exelon, the nation’s largest utility, which announced in 2009 that it was leaving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce because of the Chamber’s opposition to action on climate change, gave $250,000 to the Chamber last year.

For Immediate Release: 3/16/17U.S. Chamber’s Continued Commitment to Protecting Corporate Bad Actors Is Shown in Its Anti-Consumer and Anti-Environmental LitigationReport Reveals the Troublesome Nature of Chamber’s Litigation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has played a leading role in many of the most notorious civil cases of recent years, a new report from Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch showed today. Seemingly, willing to support almost any corporate litigant, no matter how egregious its conduct, the Chamber uses its busy litigation practice to advance a reactionary agenda.

For Immediate Release: 12/07/16For the First Time, 100 Percent of the U.S. Chamber’s General Election Spending Benefited Republican Candidates ExclusivelyNew Report Reveals that U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dominated Undisclosed Spending in Congressional Races Across the Nation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has abandoned any claims it once held to bipartisanship or working across the aisle to get things done after it placed all its financial support with Republicans in this year’s congressional elections, a report (PDF) released today by Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch shows.

For Immediate Release: 10/26/16Although U.S. Chamber of Commerce Denounces Lawsuits, It Goes to Court Every Other DayReport Reveals Vast Scope of Chamber’s Litigation to Aid Big Businesses
Although the U.S. Chamber of Commerce regularly denounces the “costly” American legal system and the number of lawsuits filed, the Chamber itself is a prodigious litigator, a new report (PDF) from Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch shows. The Chamber files a court case or amicus brief roughly every other day of the five-day work week, according to the report (PDF), “Chamber of Litigation.” And despite its claim to represent small businesses, only 7 percent of the cases have been in favor of small business.

For Immediate Release: 9/28/16Majority of U.S. Chamber’s Political Funding Is From Only a Handful of Corporate MegadonorsBelying Its Small Business Reputation, A Few Dozen Corporate Entities Fuel 60 Percent of the Chamber’s Unconstrained Spending on Political Ads
Although the U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims to represent hundreds of thousands of businesses, just 74 entities provide almost 60 percent of the Chamber’s funding, a new analysis from Public Citizen’s Chamber Watch shows.

For Immediate Release: 7/12/16ExxonMobil Claims Transparency on Nonprofit Spending – But Omits Donations to Trade Associations Like the U.S. Chamber
While ExxonMobil claims to value transparency, it would appear that Exxon doesn’t really understand the concept. Only too happy to tout its donations to various nonprofits and universities under the guise of promoting “sound public policies,” Exxon turns out the lights when it comes to the money it donates to trade associations like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that lobby for, you guessed it, public policies!

For Immediate Release: 06/13/16Groups Call on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Change Course, Take Six Steps to Be More Transparent and ResponsibleChamber’s Harmful Agenda Doesn’t Reflect the Views of Most Businesses
Saying that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a shill for Big Business, more than 20 organizations today called on the trade association to follow six principles that would make it a more transparent and responsible player in the American political system.

For Immediate Release: 6/9/16MEDIA INVITATION: Public Citizen’s Chamber Watch Hosts Small Business Summit on Capitol HillChamber of Commerce Claims to Speak for Small Businesses, but Does Not Share Their Concerns
Members of the press are invited to attend a small business summit on Capitol Hill hosted by Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch program, featuring small business leaders who will set the record straight on a number of issues of interest to small and medium-sized businesses as well as sustainable and green businesses. U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) will keynote the event.

For Immediate Release: 6/9/16Chamber of Commerce Is Using Small Businesses as Pawns to Fight the Fiduciary RulePublic Citizen Report Shows Many of the Chamber’s Small Business Spokespeople Were Unaware of the Rule, Had No Opinion on It, Did Not Exist or Were Not Small Business Owners
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is using small business owners as pawns in its misleading campaign to dismantle the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s fiduciary rule, a new report (PDF) from Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch division shows.

For Immediate Release: 1/7/16Bill That Would Cripple Class-Action Lawsuits and Further Harm Asbestos Victims Should Be DefeatedU.S. Chamber of Commerce Receives Belated Holiday Gift
A bill poised to pass the U.S. House of Representatives would make it more difficult for class actions to move forward and harder for asbestos victims to be compensated. It should be defeated, Public Citizen said today.

For Immediate Release: 1/5/16U.S. Chamber Attacks Council Aimed at Keeping ‘Too Big’ Institutions From FailingPublic Citizen Report Shows That Chamber Is Trying to Help Major Contributor Avoid Federal Reserve Oversight
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has strongly opposed centralized oversight of “nonbank” financial companies that precipitated the 2008 financial crisis and has fought to help a major contributor avoid heightened standards, according to a new report (PDF) from Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch.The report, “Undermining FSOC,” examines the Chamber’s advocacy regarding the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), which consists of financial regulators and was created as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to identify risks to the financial stability of the United States.

For Immediate Release: 12/10/15Extent of Chamber Attacks on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Revealed in New Report
As congressional Republicans threaten to shut down the government over ideological policy provisions including an attempt to eviscerate the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch released a report documenting the business lobby’s efforts and arguments against the new agency’s benefits to consumers.

For Immediate Release: 12/3/15U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Attacks on Wall Street Reform Are Based on Policies Harmful to Small Businesses and Consumers, Report ShowsAnalysis Highlights How Chamber Is Proxy in Washington for Big Banks
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s sweeping attacks against Wall Street reform are based on policies unsupported by evidence, harmful to small business and consumers, and largely beneficial to Wall Street, according to an analysis by Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch.

For Immediate Release: 1/14/15State of American Business Preview: Corporate America Is Strong, But Regular People Suffer – From Policies the U.S. Chamber PushesStatement of Robert Weissman, President, Public Citizen, Host of U.S. Chamber Watch
Today, Tom Donohue, the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the lobby group for Big Business, gives his annual State of American Business address…. Although corporate America is living larger than ever before, the odds are overwhelming that Donohue in his address will complain about the imaginary shackles on Big Business and demand still more subsidies and deals that aid the world’s biggest companies but hurt America and Americans. The odds are overwhelming because Donohue pretty much gives the same speech every year.

For Immediate Release: 11/13/14Google’s Rapidly Expanding Political Activity and Information Collection Systems Present Cause for Concern
Google is so rapidly expanding both its information-collecting capabilities and its political clout that it could become too powerful to be held accountable, a new Public Citizen report finds. “Mission Creep-y: Google Is Quietly Becoming One of the Nation’s Most Powerful Political Forces While Expanding Its Information-Collection Empire” looks at the ways Google is accruing power both in terms of the information it collects about the public and the sway it has over federal and state governments, as well as civil society.

For Immediate Release: 10/29/14Report: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dominates Undisclosed Spending in Congressional Races
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is both the largest overall spender in the 2014 congressional elections among outside groups that do not disclose their contributors and the largest such spender in 28 of the 35 races in which it has gotten involved, Public Citizen reported today.

For Immediate Release: 10/7/14Local Chambers Tell Supreme Court: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Does Not Represent Our Interests in BP Case
Eight local chambers of commerce have filed an amicus brief (PDF) at the U.S. Supreme Court, stating that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce does not represent their interests in the U.S. Chamber’s amicus filing in a Supreme Court case related to the BP oil disaster.

For Immediate Release: 9/23/14Google Takes Step to Rectify Conflicting Climate Message: Public Citizen Calls for Google to Also Leave U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Public Citizen applauds Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt for doing the right thing and declaring that Google will withdraw support from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over that organization’s denial of climate change and obstruction of action to deal with the looming climate crisis. To be consistent, Google must also stop supporting the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

For Immediate Release: 6/5/14Opening of Google’s New and Expanded Capitol Hill Office Makes Evident Its Growing Political Spending and Lobbying Activity
Monday’s opening of Google’s new Capitol Hill office, a 55,000 square-foot space less than a mile from the U.S. Capitol, symbolizes the company’s growing political activity and nontransparent expenditures, Public Citizen said today. Google did not respond to two phone messages and an email inquiry from Public Citizen about the purpose of this office, but multiple media reports have interpreted it to be used for lobbying and political activity purposes.

For Immediate Release: 5/29/14U.S. Chamber Opposition to Forthcoming EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations Lacks Substance, Wrongly Scapegoats EPA as Cause of Coal’s Decline
On June 2, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to propose the first-ever national limits on carbon pollution emitted by existing power plants. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is attempting to pre-empt the rules with warnings about their purported effects.

For Immediate Release: 5/22/14U.S. Chamber Opposition to CEO-Median Employee Pay Disclosure Reveals How Much Big Businesses Have to Hide
Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a report titled, “The Egregious Costs of the SEC’s Pay-Ratio Disclosure Regulation.” The calculation in question is part of a section of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act that requires publicly traded companies to disclose the CEO’s pay as a multiple of the median-paid employee at the firm. The report includes a survey by four trade associations that claim it would take 952 hours to calculate the median of company pay for the average firm.

For Immediate Release: 5/20/14Shareholders Gain Momentum in Quest for Transparency in Political Spending by Major Companies
Shareholders are gaining momentum with demands for public companies to disclose their political spending, with the most recent advancement coming after a large rally last week outside the Google Inc. annual shareholder meeting at the Googleplex in Mountain View, followed by an acknowledgement by Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt that the company has heard the demands and will respond with ideas on how to address them. Votes representing more than 60 million Google shares were in favor of greater political spending disclosure.

For Immediate Release: 5/14/14Shareholders and Activists Call on Google to Increase Political Spending Transparency, Lead on Climate Action, and Treat Its Workers Respectfully
Shareholders and activists from around the country and region are rallying today at Google’s shareholder meeting, calling on the tech giant to stay true to its stated commitments to transparency, an open Internet and climate action by disclosing its lobbying spending and leaving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – two powerful groups that oppose those values.

For Immediate Release: 2/26/14Securities Markets Need Private Class-Action Lawsuits
Private securities lawsuits are a necessary tool in preventing fraud and protecting investors, according to a new report released today by Public Citizen’s Chamber Watch program. The report disproves misleading arguments made by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund on March 5.

For Immediate Release: 2/6/14Majority of Donations to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Given by Just 64 Entities
More than half of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s contributions in 2012 came from just 64 donors, according to a new report released today by Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch program.

For Immediate Release: 1/15/14U.S. Chamber of Commerce Energy Platform: Raise Gasoline Prices and Fatten Profits for Big Oil
Today, Big Oil demonstrated its influence over the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which issued a wish list that prioritizes profits for big energy companies at the expense of higher energy prices for families and reduced safety for the environment and workers.

For Immediate Release: 1/8/14More Tired Bromides From U.S. Chamber President Tom Donohue
In his annual State of American Business address, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue once again presented a skewed picture of the state of the economy.

For Immediate Release: 11/21/13U.S. Chamber of Commerce Attempting to Undermine Anti-Bribery Law, Public Citizen Report Shows
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been attempting since 2010 to weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), asking for changes to the law that would make it easier for companies to bribe foreign officials and would hurt the economy overall, according to a new report released today by Public Citizen’s U.S. Chamber Watch program.

For Immediate Release: 10/28/13U.S. Chamber Contributors Almost Completely Secret, Public Citizen Study Finds
Twenty-four corporations that voluntarily disclosed information about their donations to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave the trade association $6.5 million in non-tax-deductible contributions last year, which is significant because that money can be used to influence elections.

For Immediate Release: 5/23/13Unemployed Workers Walk from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. to Tell U.S. Chamber of Commerce to Stop Blocking Green Jobs
A group of unemployed workers is walking more than 140 miles from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. in order to demand that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce stop blocking efforts to create green jobs. The action, called Operation Green Jobs, will culminate in a rally at the headquarters of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 24 at 10 am.

For Immediate Release: 10/19/12New Report: Here’s What Nearly 30 Corporations Gave the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Last Year
Chamber Spends Big on Elections, but Lack of Disclosure Requirements Hinders Ability to Trace Money to Source

For Immediate Release: 10/19/12One Hundred Years of Secrets and Lies
National groups, small business representatives call on U.S. Chamber of Commerce to disclose the sources of funds behind its dark money electoral advertising

For Immediate Release: 9/28/12Shadowy Money From U.S. Chamber of Commerce Pours Into Nine California Congressional Races
Trade Organization Injects $3.3 Million Into Races for U.S. House of Representatives

For Immediate Release: 2/2/09Obama’s Rumored Choice for Justice Department Post Has Long History of Working Against Consumer Rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Obama’s reported choice to head the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) main policymaking unit has a long record of championing laws to shield corporations from accountability at the expense of ordinary Americans, Public Citizen said in a report released today.

For Immediate Release: 7/29/08Chamber Research Flawed; Empirical Studies Prove That Arbitration Harms Consumers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two recent papers published or financially supported by the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform paint a grossly inaccurate picture of the empirical evidence on binding mandatory arbitration, a comprehensive study issued today by Public Citizen reveals.

For Immediate Release: 10/31/06U.S. Chamber of Commerce Failed to Report Electioneering Spending and Grants, Public Citizen Asks IRS to Investigate
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its affiliated Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) failed to report millions in taxable spending from 2000 to 2004 intended to influence state-level attorney general and supreme court races and federal races around the country, according to a Public Citizen complaint filed today with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

For Immediate Release: 10/11/05Enforcement Action Sought in Case Stemming From U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Covert Funneling of $1.5 Million Into Washington Attorney General Race
A petition filed today with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission by Public Citizen, a retired Washington State Supreme Court chief justice and a law professor seeks enforcement action against a U.S. Chamber of Commerce subsidiary for the covert funneling of $1.5 million into the 2004 Washington state attorney general race.

For Immediate Release: 5/26/05Consumer Groups Express Strong Support for Law Enforcement Efforts of Attorneys General Nationwide
In response to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce conference held here today to explore the effects of so-called “activist” state attorneys general, consumer groups highlighted just a handful of the many achievements for the public of state attorneys general across the country, calling them “a critical bulwark of protection against fraud and unfair and deceptive practices.”

For Immediate Release: 3/21/05U.S. Chamber of Commerce Distorts NAFTA Record, Hides potential CAFTA Costs to United States, Central America
While Central American ambassadors continue to travel the United States as part of a U.S. Chamber of Commerce-sponsored public relations tour to promote a proposed Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) NAFTA expansion, a new study by Public Citizen exposes the flawed methodology around the Chamber’s claims about CAFTA’s potential affects on the United States and Central America.

For Immediate Release: 3/8/05New U.S. Chamber of Commerce Poll Ranking States’ Liability Systems Is Part of a Disinformation Campaign to Restrict Consumer Rights
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2005 State Liability Systems Ranking Study, the latest salvo in its ongoing attack on consumers’ and patients’ legal rights, meets the same scientific standard as its reports of prior years: politically driven propaganda that grafts corporate bias onto flawed methodology, according to a critique by the national consumer group Public Citizen.

For Immediate Release: 2/21/05Chamber President Tom Donohue Has Vested Interest in Campaign to Limit Consumers’ Legal Rights as Steward of Two Scandal-Marred Companies
Tom Donohue has a vested interest in the national campaign to limit corporate accountability because the U.S. Chamber of Commerce president sits on the boards of two scandal-ridden corporations, according to a Public Citizen report released today.